Novel Ideas

Not to complain aimlessly about AA's baggage fee, I humbly offer the airline some ideas to alleviate their fuel-cost pain:

Make a game of it. We gamble with our checked luggage to begin with. Let's do it Vegas-style! If the airline loses your checked luggage, they pay you that entire flight's collected checked-luggage fee.

(You'll get just enough cash to drown your sorrows at the airport bar. Which is still more than you get for a lost bag today.)

Charge more for drinks. People who are going to get sozzled on-board will pay damned near anything. Exhibit A: 5EU for a thimble of liquor.

Keep their wallets open: Why make people pay cash for in-flight food and drink? Link those purchases to their AAdvantage account and send them a monthly bill. The credit-card industry has already demonstrated that people will spend like crazy once you take cold, hard cash out of the purchase.

Sell ad space On the sides of the airplanes. It works for public transit, righit? -and just think of the ad exposure you'll get off a plane stranded on the tarmac.

Get into the money-lending business. I hear mortgages are a safe bet these days ... and there are plenty of jobless quants wandering Wall Street right now.